The Power of Intention: How to create an intentional music playlist that boosts your mood and energy
Music they say, is food for the soul and like food, we would absolutely love to consume the right ones that would make for a healthy soul. Just as we strive to consume the right foods for a healthy body, we also seek out music that can contribute to a healthy soul. Much like the varied reasons we have for eating, we engage with music for many reasons including personal growth, sheer enjoyment, or as a means of managing stress.
What are your reasons for listening to music?
Talk a virtual walk with me
Back on UGBS campus, you would find me in a lecture hall, on my bed or at the library with my earpiece listening to my haphazard music playlist. One moment you would notice me am shaking some parts of my body to the music and the next moment I am in a Celine Dion zone. Although, my playlist was random, it was still essential to my studies. Don’t ask me how I was able to concentrate with the sound in the background, but it always works for me. There was a time I found myself loudly humming absentmindedly in the library until my friend signaled to me. I was just about turning the library into a makeshift stage.
Even in my working life, music has been the background sound to the lyrics of my work. At a point, I was dubbed the “office DJ.” Music for some reason helped me to concentrate, reduced my stress and on slow days the lyrics to the music filled up my wordless void.
I brought you along on my virtual walk to showcase the merits of music, even when I hadn’t consciously attributed a significant level of intention to it. Imagine the benefits you will derive when you attach intention to it!
The moment intentionality popped in
I started being super intentional with my music playlist one time when I found myself flicking through one music to the other because I wanted the perfect music to befriend my mood. I would find one and the next track would be in a totally different direction and I had to skip a number of tracks before I found the next good one.
There would be days I would give up completely and get on with life.
How to be intentional with your music playlist
Now we have a lot of platforms to stream music including the music apps we have on our phone. I use Spotify for my music (the free version though lol) so I incur only data costs, but find what works for you.
- Tool: Find the platform that works for you: Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, your phone’s Music player.
- Purpose: If you know yourself very well, create playlists for your moods and activities you usually engage in. If you don’t, create playlists that would be relevant for what you know and observe yourself over a period to discover any other moods or activities you might want to add along the way. (Despite having engaged in this activity for more than two years, I continue to craft fresh playlists, so it’s best to approach it gradually, one step at a time.)
- Listen and categorise: If you already have a list of songs you listen to, start putting them in the categories you have created. If you don’t, start listening to music randomly with the objective of categorising them appropriately. Pay attention to the emotions they evoke in you and most importantly the lyrics, afterall we want to consume healthy food not unhealthy ones.
- Congratulations! You just started the journey of being intentional with your music playlist.
- Update and Curate them regularly! It does not end here, make it a point to check the latest music tracks (on Spotify check out the release radar) and work your magic to arrange them to meet your objectives.
Suggestions to create your playlist
As a wellness and mental health advocate, my playlists have 3 broad categories: Body, Spirit and Soul. For instance, early in the morning when my sense of connection to God is still intact and firmly in place then I know I have to switch to my soul (consists of the mind, will and emotions) playlist. I would need positive vibes regardless of my situation to navigate the day. However, when I wake up and I feel like I have no idea why I am on this earth and feeling meh!, then I would know its super urgent and the Holy Spirit has to step in, that would be my cue to move on to my worship or spirit-led playlist.
I use two approaches to creating my playlists. The first is my favourite because it covers all aspects of my being on this earth (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The second approach I use is based on the activities I engage in, for instance gardening, walking, working on chores, laundry, researching and many others. There are some music tracks that can serve multiple purposes so do not restrict yourself when you come across such tracks.
School drive songs was curated by my two kids for our morning school drop-offs. We started by listening to random songs and they decided which song made the cut to the playlist. You can check out a few of my playlists here:
I hope you found these tips valuable, and I encourage you to not limit yourself to my suggestions. Embrace your creativity, explore your own preferences, and I would be thrilled to hear about the results you achieve!
Lots of love,
